(The HCMA’s 65th Anniversary (1949 - 2014) and receiving of Ho Chi Minh Medal)

...The HCMA is the national center for training and fostering leaders and managers of the CPV and State, as well as researching political theories. It has an especially important role in its fields, with a glorious, long tradition and has made a significant contribution to the nation’s revolutionary cause. It has received a number of important awards and titles from the CPV and State. During its 65 years of development, undergoing different historical periods and taking different names, the Academy has constantly been growing in terms of size and quality. It has trained different generations of high-ranking leaders and managers for the Party, State, Fatherland Front and other socio-political organizations. At the same time, its teaching and research staff has increased in number. They have devoted themselves to the Party’s fundamental task being personnel training.

In recent years, as a national training center for high-ranking political leaders and cadres, the HCMA has organized courses for specific leadership and managerial titles in addition to advanced political theory and postgraduate ones. It has trained potential high-ranking officials, has run refresher courses for heads and deputies of provincial party committees; has designed training material for and engaged in training courses for provincial leaders and managers; and has opened refresher courses for district level party secretaries and other leadership and managerial positions. The HCMA has updated its knowledge and has redesigned curriculum and material for all types and forms of its training courses. The organization and management of its training activities and especially its teaching methods have innovated. Theory has been linked to practice. Full-time and in-service training has expanded. Such changes were very much expected by the Politburo and Secretariat.

The Academy’s research has been promoted. It has covered a wider variety of topics and has achieved significant progress. In addition to curriculum and material design and improvement of the quality of lectures, particularly for new training and refresher courses, the Academy has paid more attention to theoretical research and practical review and has made a considerable contribution to the Party’s theoretical work.

The HCMA has also made remarkable progress in other areas including physical and technical infrastructure, international cooperation, publication of journals and compilation of the history of party organizations of provinces, sectors and organizations.

On behalf of the Party and State, I would like to congratulate the Academy on its achievements over the past 65 years as well as the most recent efforts and progress.

 Nevertheless, the HCMA has its own limitations awaiting solutions. The quality of some areas of the Academy’s operation is not high yet. Its training generally lacks a focal point. The innovation of curriculum and application of Marxism - Leninism and Ho Chi Minh Thought have only started. In general, research has yet to be satisfactory. There has been no research project which makes a real contribution to the Party’s theoretical studies and practical review. The number of its lecturers, researchers and leading, prestigious experts is small.

 ...This Anniversary is a good occasion for the Academy to look back at its history and to feel proud of what it has achieved. This is also an opportunity to draw morals, lay down guidelines and set tasks for the coming period so the Academy will grow even stronger. On that spirit, I appreciate the report by the President of the Academy. Here are some of the points I’d like to emphasize:

1. As we all know, the CPV’s 11th National Congress approved the 2011 amended Platform for national construction during the transitional period to socialism and the Strategy for socio-economic development for the period of 2011 - 2020. At its 6th meeting session, the 13th National Assembly adopted the revised 2013 Constitution. These are important documents and decisions opening a new stage of development for the Vietnam revolution. We strive to enhance the CPV’s leadership capacity and raise its fighting spirit, make use of the national strength and accelerate the renovation cause to basically modernize and industrialize the country and make the country become fully industrialized, socialist-oriented by mid-21st century. Such are Vietnam’s general socio-economic objectives guided by the principle of sustainable development.

To fulfill those extremely difficult, sacred objectives, it is essential to train officials in all areas, particularly leaders and managers of strategic importance, with political will, high moral standards, strong professional skills and abilities to rally support and get things done. In this respect, the HCMA plays a crucial role. The CPV and State highly regard the Academy’s role and achievements. At the same time, the HCMA is expected to make even greater efforts and introduce more innovations in the time to come and carry out important responsibilities as a national training center for high-ranking leaders and managers as well as political researchers for the Party, State, Fatherland Front and other socio-political organizations; a national research institution of Marxism - Leninism, Ho Chi Minh Thought and guidelines and policies of the Party and State; and an important upholder of political ideology, theory and education and revolutionary moral values within the Party and the society as a whole. Such high demands by the Party and State give the HCMA the opportunity of promoting itself even further. I am sure that the Academy have already been aware of this and will translate determination and enthusiasm into innovation, constantly change ways of thinking and operating, uphold democracy, seek new solutions and concentrate every resource on the fulfillment of major tasks so as to bring the Academy on a new stage of development.

2. As for personnel training, a central task of the HCMA, it is necessary to continue observing the resolutions by the Party Central Committee and Politburo concerning improvement of training quality, implementing personnel strategies and carrying out succession planning. Special importance should be attached to improvement of training quality in terms of theoretical awareness, leadership and managerial skills; political qualities, moral standards and working styles and methods. To that end, it is necessary to continue innovating training curriculum, teaching and learning methods, enrollment, student administration and assessment. Attention should be paid to job title-based training. The education of Marxism - Leninism, Ho Chi Minh Thought and the CPV’s views and guidelines should be accompanied by the training of practical leadership and managerial skills and work methods with consideration being given to individual learners and specific job titles. Learners’ proactiveness and creativity should be developed. Exchanges, discussions and debates between learners and lecturers should be promoted. Assessment must be absolutely objective and professional. Biased assessment or one which solely aims to seek rewards must be avoided. In the current situation, it is essential to provide learners with political, moral and lifestyle training in order to prevent ideological and moral degradation among party members and officials according to the Resolution of the 4th plenum of the 11th Party Committee concerning Party building. Such training needs to be integrated into lectures, learner administration and classroom activities. In addition to improving the quality of leadership and management training, the HCMA needs to innovate its training of political researchers and lecturers including those specializing in Marxism - Leninism, Ho Chi Minh Thought, the Party’s and State’s guidelines and policies, political sciences and state management sciences. Information supply needs to be re-organized and there must be a mechanism for taking learners on field trips to industries and provinces where they could be consulted. More high-level leaders of the Party, State, industries, ministries and provinces and experts from inside and outside of the country should be invited to take part in various stages of the Academy’s training. There should have a suitable policy on guest lecturers.

3. Research into theories and review of realities are among especially important tasks of the HCMA to be spent more energy and resources on. They not only directly affect the quality of the HCMA’s training, scientific potential, position and influence but also help to raise the quality of the entire Party’s ideological and theoretical work and make a considerable contribution to the formulation of the Party’s guidelines and the State’s policies and laws.

In the current period, the Academy needs to attach importance to review of realities in order to develop theories, focus on clarification of newly arising issues and provide scientific bases for development of the Party’s guidelines and the State’s policies and laws. At the same time, it needs to refute hostile views and false arguments. It must provide direct support for the improvement of personnel training. Based on such strategic tasks, it needs to carry out research or review projects and combine fundamental, long-term research with fulfillment of urgent, immediate tasks in order to solve practice issues. Such research needs to clarify the values, vitality and significance of Marxism - Leninism, Ho Chi Minh Thought, socialism and the road to achieve it in Vietnam, development of a socialist-oriented market economy, Party building, socialist Rule of law, world situations and the country’s foreign and international integration policies. At present, the CPV is reviewing the 30 years of national renovation and preparing documents to be submitted to the 12th National Congress. This is a good occasion for the Academy to promote its relevant research. It needs to pay attention to establishing a demo-cratic atmosphere in scientific research and encourage innovation and creativity in conformity with the Party’s principles and characters. It needs to establish an exemplary cultural atmosphere typical of a Party school. It needs to make use of the potential of its lecturers, researchers and scientists.

To that end, the Academy needs to re-organize its scientific operation while sticking to its functions and tasks and the agenda of the Party Central Committee. Based on its actual operation, the Academy needs to design research programs in a professional, systematic manner. On that basis, it should organize research groups and coordinate better with relevant sectors, industries, research bodies at central level, Party committees at various levels and local authorities. There should be a mechanism for involving its students who are in leadership and managerial positions, doctoral candidates and learners of advanced courses in research and practical projects carried out by the HCMA’s researchers. The Academy should write periodical reports on research results and present them to competent bodies.  

4. In order to carry out the two above-mentioned important tasks, the Academy needs to focus

on achieving comprehensive development, especially employing research and teaching staff who are highly qualified, street-smart, politically convinced and creative. The use of experienced, prestigious experts, teachers and scientists inside and outside of the Academy should be promoted. At the same time, young talents should be encouraged and given opportunities for professional development. International coo-peration should be expanded. Physical and technical facilities should be upgraded. The quality of other operations, especially Party building within the Academy, needs to improve. As an advanced Party school named after the late President Ho Chi Minh, the HCMA must attach special importance to Party building and set an example in this respect. Also, the Academy Party committee must make itself truly transparent and strong, endow it with as much leadership capacity and fighting spirit as possible and hold it up as an example for learners to follow. As far as ideology is concerned, the Party committee needs to ensure that its members are absolutely loyal to the Party’s revolutionary objectives and ideals, committed to the country and people; highly responsible, passionate about their jobs; moral and worthy of their positions as lecturers and staff of the Academy. When it comes to personnel work, Party cells need to closely coordinate with heads of professional divisions in taking care of the Academy’s staff and raising their standards. Divisions and individuals need to work hand in hand in order to accomplish political tasks. Inspection and supervision of party cells and members must be promoted so as to prevent corruption in any operation of the Academy.

5. As for learners, it is an honor to study at a Party school named after the late President Ho Chi Minh. Therefore, learners need to be deeply aware that being here means to pursue all-round education, learn scientific principles and methodologies and apply them creatively to specific jobs, raise moral standards and improve working styles. Learners need to use their time wisely to read, listen and discuss, and make every effort to become proactive self-reliant in their studies. Learn both fundamental and applied knowledge so that upon completion of studies at the Academy, learners can apply it effectively to their current jobs and more important, become an intellectually and morally excellent staff and a source of inspiration of their organization. By doing so, you will contribute to enhancing the Party’s leadership capacity and fighting spirit.

... Receiving the precious Medal in this 65th Anniversary is a great honor and pride of the Academy. I believe that, with the tradition and experience accumulated over the last 65 years, the political determination shaped and fostered by the Party’s and State’s important decisions and the large number of devoted, qualified staff, you’re the HCMA will definitely accomplish assignments and make greater contributions to the cause of national construction and safeguard and deserve the trust of the Party, State and People. On this occasion, I would like to express my praise, appreciation and thanks for the assistance and coordination of relevant sectors, ministries, industries, Central level mass organizations, party organizations and local authorities have extended to the Academy. I hope that in the time to come, these organs continue to work closely with the Academy to fulfill its tasks and grow even stronger.

With my responsibility, feelings and profound faith, I wish the lecturers, staffs and learners of the Academy good health, determination, creativity and great achievements.